The First VLBI Image of the Young, Oxygen-Rich Supernova Remnant in NGC 4449

We report on sensitive 1.4-GHz VLBI radio observations of the unusually luminous supernova remnant SNR 4449-1 in the galaxy NGC 4449, which gave us the first well-resolved image of this object. The remnant's radio morphology consists of two approximately parallel bright ridges, suggesting similarities to the barrel shape seen for many older Galactic supernova remnants or possibly to SN 1987A. The angular extent of the remnant is 65 x 40 mas, corresponding to (3.7 x 2.3) x 10^{18} (D/3.8 Mpc) cm. We also present a new, high signal-to-noise optical spectrum. By comparing the remnant's linear size to the maximum velocities measured from optical lines, as well as using constraints from historical images, we conclude that the supernova explosion occurred between ~1905 and 1961, likely around 1940. The age of the remnant is therefore likely ~70 yr. We find that SNR 4449-1's shock wave is likely still interacting with the circumstellar rather than interstellar medium.Comment: 7 pages, Accepted for publication in MNRA

Propfan Test Assessment (PTA)

The objectives of the Propfan Test Assessment (PTA) Program were to validate in flight the structural integrity of large-scale propfan blades and to measure noise characteristics of the propfan in both near and far fields. All program objectives were met or exceeded, on schedule and under budget. A Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation GII aircraft was modified to provide a testbed for the 2.74m (9 ft) diameter Hamilton Standard SR-7 propfan which was driven by a 4475 kw (600 shp) turboshaft engine mounted on the left-hand wing of the aircraft. Flight research tests were performed for 20 combinations of speed and altitude within a flight envelope that extended to Mach numbers of 0.85 and altitudes of 12,192m (40,000 ft). Propfan blade stress, near-field noise on aircraft surfaces, and cabin noise were recorded. Primary variables were propfan power and tip speed, and the nacelle tilt angle. Extensive low altitude far-field noise tests were made to measure flyover and sideline noise and the lateral attenuation of noise. In coopertion with the FAA, tests were also made of flyover noise for the aircraft at 6100m (20,000 ft) and 10,668m (35,000 ft). A final series of tests were flown to evaluate an advanced cabin wall noise treatment that was produced under a separate program by NASA-Langley Research Center

Generalized routhian calculations within the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approximation

We consider here variational solutions in the Hartree-Fock approximation upon breaking time reversal and axial symmetries. When decomposed on axial harmonic oscillator functions, the corresponding single particle triaxial eigenstates as functions of the usual cylindrical coordinates (r, $\theta$, z) are evaluated on a mesh in r and z to be integrated within Gauss-Hermite and Gauss-Laguerre approaches and as Fourier decompositions in the angular variable $\theta$. Using an effective interaction of the Skyrme type, the Hartree-Fock hamiltonian is also obtained as a Fourier series allowing a two dimensional calculation of its matrix elements. This particular choice is shown to lead in most cases to shorter computation times compared to the usual decomposition on triaxial harmonic oscillator states. We apply this method to the case of the semi-quantal approach of large amplitude collective motion corresponding to a generalized routhian formalism and present results in the A=150 superdeformed region for the coupling of global rotation and intrinsic vortical modes in what is known after Chandrasekhar as the S-ellipsoid coupling case.Comment: LaTeX using elsart, 32 pages, 4 included figures, submitted to Nuclear Physics A (revised version

A Monte Carlo Study of the Dynamical-Flucautation Property of the Hadronic System Inside Jets

A study of the dynamical fluctuation property of jets is carried out using Monte Carlo method. The results suggest that, unlike the average properties of the hadronic system inside jets, the anisotropy of dynamical fluctuations in these systems changes abruptly with the variation of the cut parameter \yct. A transition point exists, where the dynamical fluctuations in the hadronic system inside jet behave like those in soft hadronic collisions, i.e. being circular in the transverse plan with repect to dynamical fluctuations. This finding obtained from Jetset and Herwig Monte Carlo is encouraged to be checked by experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

RNAi: double-stranded RNA directs the ATP-dependent cleavage of mRNA at 21 to 23 nucleotide intervals

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs the sequence-specific degradation of mRNA through a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Using a recently developed Drosophila in vitro system, we examined the molecular mechanism underlying RNAi. We find that RNAi is ATP dependent yet uncoupled from mRNA translation. During the RNAi reaction, both strands of the dsRNA are processed to RNA segments 21-23 nucleotides in length. Processing of the dsRNA to the small RNA fragments does not require the targeted mRNA. The mRNA is cleaved only within the region of identity with the dsRNA. Cleavage occurs at sites 21-23 nucleotides apart, the same interval observed for the dsRNA itself, suggesting that the 21-23 nucleotide fragments from the dsRNA are guiding mRNA cleavage

Particle-drip lines from the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory with Skyrme interaction

We calculate positions of one- and two-particle, proton and neutron drip lines within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory using Skyrme interaction. We also determine an approximate $r$-process path defined as a line where the neutron binding energy is equal to 2~MeV. A weakening of the nuclear shell structure at drip lines is found and interpreted as resulting from a coupling with continuum states.Comment: 10 pages REVTEX 3.0, 3 uuencoded postscript figures included, IFT/14/9

Isospin Dependence of the Spin-Orbit Force and Effective Nuclear Potentials,

The isospin dependence of the spin-orbit potential is investigated for an effective Skyrme-like energy functional suitable for density dependent Hartree-Fock calculations. The magnitude of the isospin dependence is obtained from a fit to experimental data on finite spherical nuclei. It is found to be close to that of relativistic Hartree models. Consequently, the anomalous kink in the isotope shifts of Pb nuclei is well reproduced.Comment: Revised, 11 pages (Revtex) and 2 figures available upon request, Preprint MPA-833, Physical Review Letters (in press)